posted November 13, 2002 04:24 PM         

Personally, I'm not too sure that the "right" people will make the assessment as to who is and who isn't "gifted".

I went to an all girls Grammar School. It has "in theory" been proven in the past that girls do much better in an all girls school....as when boys are there - aside from the obvious distractions it's been "proved" that the teachers encouraged the boys rather than the girls. The theory being that girls will marry, have children etc etc.
Now this was a view some years ago...maybe it's changed now - hopefully it has.
What'd all think???

Here's the article.....

Government proposes to group 'gifted' children

Gifted pupils from more than one comprehensive could be taught together under proposals put forward by the School Standards minister.

David Miliband says the Government wants to see secondary schools band together in "federations".

He suggests they should look at "stretching the highest performers" by putting them together in sets.

But headteachers have warned Mr Miliband not to interfere, saying it was up to them, not ministers, to decide how pupils should be grouped.

Mr Miliband said the brightest pupils needed "tailor-made provision".

He added: "It means ensuring that the investment in high quality facilities through the specialist school programme genuinely does deliver those facilities to all pupils in an area.

"It means developing setting arrangements, if necessary through federations of schools, that stretch the brightest performers."

The federations policy was launched earlier this year. It was part of a package of reforms schools will have to implement in return for the billions of pounds promised in the July comprehensive spending review.

Former Education Secretary Estelle Morris said federations could take several forms - a link-up of a successful and a failing school, a group with a single governing body and "chief executive"-style head, or a network of specialist secondaries se rving a particular area of England.

A spokesman for the Secondary Heads Association, said: "The arrangement of setting pupils by ability is to be left to the head teacher. It is not a matter for Government ministers to interfere in.

Copyright Ananova 2002 all rights reserved

12/11/02 19:13

posted November 15, 2002 01:14 AM         

I used to live in England too-for 2 years!

posted November 15, 2002 09:31 AM         

Personally, I think it can be very beneficial for all involved. It cut down on in-class nonsenese because no one was bored - we were all being challanged to our ability. And, those that needed the extra attention, got it. I also think that children learning together in little groups can help each other learn. Your friend may be able to explain something to you in a better way than the teacher was able.

In High School, instead of groups within the class they broke us up into different classes and gave the "gifted" girls (I went to an all girls' High School) harder classes, and college prep classes. (In fact, my calculus book in Senior year was the same book I used in Calc 101 in college.)

In addition, I think putting together the best students makes them work harder. My friends were the other "top performers" and we were in constant competition for the best grades, averages, understanding of the subject - everything. We would be begging the teachers for extra credit just for those precious few extra points.

posted November 15, 2002 11:09 AM         

Just from my experiences, I'd have to say that as long as there are multiple entry points into the program that are spaced througout a student's "career", the idea's a good one.

Corri

PS - The question of determination of "eligibility" for whatever program's in place is a tough and touchy one; in the past here (up through the 80s in many jurisdictions), a kid had to score over 135 or 140 on a blind I.Q. test given in kindergarten or the 1st grade in order to enter. I believe it's gotten looser in most places - they'll have a specific test or battery for their program that can be administered @ different points (of course, differing by the age @ which it's given).

posted November 16, 2002 12:06 AM         

"Eh, I'm not a Libra so I'm not going to keep weighing the pros and cons, and I'm annoying myself by putting quotation marks around every other word, so I'll stop."

posted November 21, 2002 09:55 PM         

I was tested for gifted in grade two, and while my reading level was grade eight equivalent (Neptune hits my first house mercury from the 12th, sometimes you could se I was gifted). However, I couldn't tie my shoes or tell left and right (Which I still can't do). And while I had no problem with basic maths I failed the section on cylinders. I actually failed the section on cylinders right up until grade 10 when I no longer had to take math.

I was retested for gifted in grade four with the same results, high points for reading and comprehension, high on pattern recognition, high on two or three other sections, but poorly in TWO sections which meant I did not meet the qualifications for the program.

So I went back to normal class and didn't actually have to do 1/5th of the work everyone else did in order to understand whatever we were working on. And I got bored. And I REALLY resented being there. And until grade seven I did not complete any homework above and beyond what I could do in class excepting projects and presentations.

As it turns out I was dyslexic, and gifted. I could close out with 'Maybe if they hadn't been so focused on the very very best of the intelligent kids' but personally I just don't think I'm a school person. I don't think I ever was.

I want to learn, not go to school. If that makes any sense at all.

Gifted programs are good where the kids have fun, my current boyfriend dropped out of gifted after two weeks because he didn't like missing his lunch recess (Two afternoons a week they bused gifted kids to another school, and they lost lunch recess) and where they encourage people to learn.

posted November 22, 2002 08:53 AM         

It must be okay to offer a challenge to those who need it!? And the right kind of challenge, too - according to interests and talents.
They will not change much, that is to say; some degree of specialization early on isn't that risky.
But like Cat says, who's to decide on who belongs where?
I'm pro, but indecisive on how to go about...